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Eric Schmidt resigns from Apple board

Conflict of interests becomes too much for Google chief

Google chief executive Eric Schmidt has resigned from Apple's board of
directors, in a move which many see as an indication of Google's increasing
intention to occupy and dominate the operating system markets.

Schmidt had been a member of Apple's board for three years, but resigned
because of the increasing overlap between the Google and Apple businesses.

"Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple's core businesses with
Android
and now
Chrome
OS, Eric's effectiveness as an Apple board member will be significantly
diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of
our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest," said Apple chief executive
Steve Jobs.

"Therefore, we have mutually decided that now is the right time for Eric to
resign his position on Apple's board."

Schmidt's position as a non-executive director of Apple had come under
increasing scrutiny over the past year, as Google entered the mobile phone
operating system market with Android, and then announced its Chrome OS to rival
Apple's Mac OS X.

The two companies also compete in the browser stakes. Apple's Safari and
Google's Chrome occupy third and fourth place in terms of market share, behind
Internet Explorer and Firefox.